Saudi Arabia: 13-Year Prison Term Handed Down to Prominent Shiite Cleric for Demanding Ending War on Yemen

Islam Times - The Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh sentenced on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, a prominent Shiite cleric, Sheikh Hussein Al-Radi, to 13 years in prison for a Friday speech he delivered, in which he denounced the war on Yemen and called for stopping it, in addition to other sermons condemning the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr.

Sheikh Al-Radi, 66, was known for his anti-Saudi regime views, as rejecting the blacklisting of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. He has also condemned the use of excessive military force against Yemen, and called for the withdrawal of Saudi forces from Bahrain as well as putting an end to his country's interference in the affairs of neighboring countries.

Sheikh Al-Radi had a clear stance regarding the execution of Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr, for he deemed his execution a "crime," and described Al-Nimr as the "Sheikh of Martyrs" in one of his Friday sermons.

It is noteworthy that the Saudi security authorities arrested Sheikh Al-Radi on the street, after exiting the mosque on 21 March 2016, and took him to an unknown destination.